A Place of Belonging
by Ice-Tea-1983
Summary: Ranma Pokemon Crossover AU Ranma finds his place in the world, and has to fight to keep it. All chapters reposted February 25th 2007!
1. Chapter 01

Disclaimer; This fanfiction uses existing ideas, characters and or worlds, but is an independent work of art. I own nothing, hence the reason for publishing my writings here instead of in real books where I could make some money.

**

* * *

-Chapter One-**

**Every Story Has a Beginning

* * *

**

"KUSO!"

-SLAM!-

A young man with black hair in a pigtail slamed the front door of the house where he lived.

He was wearing a shirt, a blazer, a tie and slacks. That young man was named Saotome Ranma, and he had just been to the twentieth job interview in six months.

Angrily, he stomped upstairs while tearing off the black tie, not caring if the two women sitting in the tea-room were startled at his behaviour.

"I'll bet you a hundred yen Kuno arranged for Ranma to lose another job," stated the younger of the two, and sipped her tea. The brown page-boy haircut barely hid the knowing expression she bore. This was Tendo Nabiki. The other, a motherly woman in her mid twenties, wearing a soft expression and a low ponytail hanging over her shoulder, nearly covering the front of her apron, was Tendo Kasumi. These two were sisters.

"That's an unfair bet, Nabiki," said Kasumi gently, with only a hint of displeasure, "Kuno-sempai has done so the past seven times, therefore, if Ranma did not get the job, it must be his doing."

The discussion was interrupted by Ranma trudging down and taking a seat along the table. He seemed depressed, which was not an all that uncommon occurrence over the past three years since he finished high-school. The problems he faced now could not be solved with a fist, and that was nearly the only solution he knew of, thanks to his father's insistence that nothing mattered but the Art.

When he first got out of school, Ranma had no trouble at all in finding a job.

All the construction companies in Japan had wanted him to come work for them, as did the dojos after his reputation got out. It looked like Ranma had his pick of a job, and things were going his way … that is, until the aptly named "Nerima Wrecking Crew" started showing up at the workplace …

When Hibiki Ryoga bumped into Ranma as he and his co-workers were finishing an apartment complex in the outskirts of Nerima, it led to a fight that Ranma was unable to lead anywhere else, resulting in levelling the building the construction company had spent half a year, and billions of yen on, in less than a minute.

Needless to say that Ranma was fired. He was just lucky that they didn't hold him responsible enough to sue him for damages, but rather realised the dangers of having Ranma working for them.

This was repeated, with different enemies. Taro, Mousse and others not worthy of mentioning.

Tendo Akane, Ranma's fiancée, was of no help, as she kept up her pattern of beating him halfway into orbit for the slightest mishap, even if it was no fault of his, resulting in him being late for his job or causing him to miss a meal. No one else in the household worked, apart from Mr Tendo's volunteer job as a Council member of the City Council, which meant that it was Ranma's duty to put bread on the table, so to speak.

Nabiki was a student at a local college, but still found time in her busy schedule to take pictures of Ranma in various degrees of dressed states and genders, and sell the pictures to Ranma's co-workers. This caused Ranma to be fired from at least three jobs, as Ranma's co-workers started making sexual advances on him, whether in female or male form, and resulting in him getting fired because he was disturbing the wa of the workplace.

Some times, Ranma's father, Saotome Genma, would cheat something away from Ranma's employer, thereby having the vengeance reflected to Ranma. This scenario represented ten percent of Ranma's loss of jobs, and Ranma was not happy about it.

These last times, though, Kuno Tatewaki had contacted the employers before Ranma's interview, and spouted poetry that would have made even Shakespeare nauseous from the complexity of it all. In general, this poetry summed up Kuno's opinion of Ranma, that he was a vile cur, an enemy to all women and so on. Needless to say, no employer would touch him, even for janitorial jobs.

All Akane would do in encouragement, was screaming at him for either trying to cheat on her (by this point, her paranoia for this had grown such that she suspected Ranma of cheating on her with either gender), or bash his head in with a mallet for nothing worth mentioning. And Ranma was getting sick and tired of it. She even forced him to try and wrestle her latest meal before eating it. That pudding sure put up one heck of a fight. The noodles that woman made also had a tendency of seeking out victims to strangle.

Not everything had been bad, though.

The Amazon matriarch Cologne, had decided to teach Ranma some more secret Amazon techniques, as a peace-offering. Of course, the hidden motive was that this might make him choose Shampoo for his bride over the other fiancées. Not a very likely thing to happen.

The Amazons weren't the only ones that had taught him something new. The same year he finished high school, and had much free time between jobs, Ranma's mother, Saotome Nodoka had thought it a good time to remind him that the name of his style was "Anything Goes", and as such, she had, in her own commanding way, suggested that she teach him to wield a katana, the family weapon. This led to Ranma inventing his own secret technique, as he did not like the idea of carrying weapons that could very easily be taken away from him. And with the lessons in swordsmanship, came lessons in proper speech. It would not do to be fired or not hired simply because of ones habit of speaking like a scoundrel.

To make it all worse, Kuno had somehow found out that the "Pigtailed Goddess" was the child of Genma, and while said father was in a bar, and quite inebriated, had declared his wish to wed her. Needless to say, at the end of the night, Genma's bar tab was clean, and Ranma's girl-side was engaged to Kuno. Ranma still refused to show his girl-side to Kuno after finding out about it. This also resulted in Ranma being chased more often for "hiding the Pigtailed Goddess" from her fiancé. This did not, of course, sit well with Akane.

Ranma picked at his dinner that night, not even bothering to fight off his father's attempts at stealing it. Akane growled about him being a lazy pervert, while Kasumi looked disapprovingly at her youngest sister's behaviour. After the youngest Tendo made another remark at Ranma's pride, he had enough and slammed his fist in the table, effectively breaking it into pieces, and got to his feet in one fluid motion.

"I've had it!" he bellowed. "All everyone does is blame me for everything, and giving me a hard time, this is it, I'm _leaving_!"

Before anyone had any time to reply, the pigtailed boy was already upstairs in the guestroom, and packing his things. By the time anyone else entered the guest room, the only sign that he had ever been there was the open window that had the curtains flutter in the evening breeze.

* * *

In the darkening streets of Juuban, there was a knocking that the door of the Saotome home, and the only person currently living there answered. She was a woman in her early forties, with reddish brown hair, currently tied into a bun at the base of her neck. Saotome Nodoka, Ranma's mother, was very surprised to see her only son standing at her door with all his worldly possessions with him, and with a single track of a treacherous tear down his cheek, one he wiped away just after the door was open. 

"Hello, mother," he greeted with a stiff bow and a sad crack in his voice. "I was hoping I could seek refuge here for the night."

The usually formal mother stepped out and embraced her son and led him inside.

"Of course, dear," she said comfortingly, and encouraged her only son to let his emotions out as he put his backpack against the wall, making the floor groan under the weight, and led him to the room that had been his when he was a child. They both sat on the bed for hours, just waiting for Ranma to give in and burst the emotional dams he had built over the years.

In the middle of the night, Ranma's stubborn demeanour wore out, and he burst into barely restrained tears as his mother buried his face in her shoulder while comforting him. She had barely had any time to be a mother to him when he grew up, and she was going to make up for it now.

The distraught martial artist cried himself to sleep on his mother's shoulder over the next hours, and was gently tucked in and left to rest as the spring-time sun was slowly making its way up over the horizon.

* * *

The very next day, in a shady shop not too far from Furinkan High school, a man sold all kinds of magical and mystical items, anything from instant Jusenkyo powder, to phoenix eggs. The owner of this shop was now faced with a desperate man, in search of any means to his end. 

Not being one to turn down a client, the owner complied and after some rummaging found what the man was looking for. Being a businessman first and foremost, the owner demanded payment before handing the item over, and was counting the money a second time as the man examined the item.

A great flash filled the shop after some rummaging on the man's part, and all that was left of the man was his smoking clothes … a red silken shirt, a pair of slippers, and a pair of black drawstring pants, and the magical item was gone.

Saotome Ranma was no longer present in this world.

* * *

Author's Notes: I finally decided to reread this story, and discovered several errors in this chapter alone … several of them were a shift in past and present tense, these were changed to past tense. The part with the Magic Shop was extended several sentences, and if anyone noticed, I changed the '' into "". 


	2. Chapter 02

Disclaimer; This fanfiction uses existing ideas, characters and or worlds, but is an independent work of art. I own nothing, hence the reason for publishing my writings here instead of in real books where I could make some money.

* * *

**-Chapter Two-**

**A New Friend

* * *

**

Saotome Ranma woke with a pained groan. 

He was most uncomfortable. As far as he could feel, he had fallen from a medium height onto gravel and rock, and judging from the roughness against him, he was not wearing anything. And there was something lumpy and soft under his arm. The soft lump was whimpering in pain.

With slight effort, Ranma used his arms to raise himself, finding a yellow mouse with a black tail and collar, and strangely angular ears with black tips. On each of its two cheeks was a red patch, making the whimpering mouse look like it had a blush.

"Pi ..." the tiny thing squeaked. " Chu ..."

Ranma thought it strange that a mouse could do anything but squeak and chew holes where there wasn't supposed to be any, but realised that he had hurt it, therefore, as a martial artist, it was his duty to take care of it, since it could not take care of itself.

A crackle of thunder announced the instant shower of cold rain just as the water started to fall.

Grumbling at her luck, Ranma picked the tiny mouse from the rocky ground and ran for cover, finding a cave not far from where she had woken.

Finally in shelter from what she nearly felt was the bane of her existence. Cold water.

Ranma glared at the sheets of falling water through the mouth of the cave.

It wasn't the curse that bothered her, it was the lack of control she was used to having as a martial artist. Before the curse, she had complete control over her own body, and was close to being able to slow her own heart to only a very few beats a minute. The arrival of the curse had signalled the loss of control, and she hated it.

Her stomach growled angrily, interrupting her train of thought.

There was little she could do about that, and she ignored it as she carefully hugged the mouse on her arm closer.

The growl grew louder, and sounded like it came from behind her.

… That didn't sound right.

Slowly, she turned around, hearing the growling louder than before.

Then she saw the largest bear she had ever seen, standing in a threatening position.

"Just my luck," Ranma growled. It really was … just when she got into or out of one situation, something always came along to make it worse … this was clearly not an exception to the unwritten rule.

The bear was about twice as tall as a normal bear, light brown fur with a nearly white ring on its chest. The claws on that thing looked like they could tear through a car with little trouble. And it was baring its teeth at her.

Slowly, Ranma started to back out into the rain, only shivering slightly from the cold, due to her lack of clothing. She did not want to provoke the bear more than it already had been, and she certainly didn't want to end up as a meal. About halfway to the outside, the bear charged with deadly intent.

This left Ranma with little choice, and she thrust her right hand at the stomach of the beast, unleashing one of her own secret techniques, modified from her father's.

A katana made of white light appeared in her hand, and easily drove itself through the heart of the bear with no resistance. If it were possible, Ranma could have sworn the bear looked surprised as it stopped advancing and became dead weight, in all possible meanings of the word. Letting the gathered ki-blade dissolve, Ranma watched as the bear fell to the rocky cave floor, a thick, red fluid slowly leaking down and out of it.

Resigned to make the best of things, Ranma ran out of the cave again, this time with a purpose as she held the unusually large, yellow mouse close to her chest. She needed wood to build a fire, to keep warm, and cook the meat they had, although unintentionally, gotten.

All the wood she could find was wet, but that did not matter after all that she had been through, and it was all but thrown clearly from the small wooded area into the cave.

Upon her return, Ranma piled small bits of wood into a small hole in the cave floor, and the larger pieces around it, at a small distance. It was lucky that the cave slanted, so that the rain water never entered the cave, or building a fire would be futile.

Focusing her energies, Ranma pooled some of it in her palm, and thrust the white sphere of ki into the small pile of wet wood, smiling in relief as it started to smoke and hiss at the sudden heat. Within moments, there was a merry little fire going, one that warmed her slowly, and slowly dried the surrounding wood.

Her first task completed, she set the mouse down, close enough to the fire to warm it, but close enough not to be burnt by the cracking logs.

Then she had to start her next tasks. As long as the bear was dead, it would be a shame to waste good recourses ... in a matter of seconds, thanks to the Chestnuts Roasting On an Open Fire technique, the bear was carved, dissected and sorted into piles of useful and useless. The entrails were of little use to Ranma, and were quickly transformed into dust and scattered at the end of a ki-sphere, as not to attract more predators with the smell.

If her estimate was right, the amount of meat that was edible was enough to feed both her and the mouse until morning. So it was placed over the fire on a few bones that were used as spits.

Then there was the important issue of clothing, which would be less of a problem with the skin and fur left over from the bear. Adapting her ki-sword to the task, she sliced the hide into strips nearly as thin as hair. The fur was used to make a form of bed in a corner of the house-sized cave.

As the strips of hide dried near the fire, Ranma got the first portion of her meal off the fire, and shook the tiny mouse awake and placing a piece in front of it.

The mouse stirred slowly.

"Pi - chu?" it asked pitifully and looked around, immediately spotting the piece of cooked meat.

Before Ranma could blink, the meat was halfway down the mouse's stomach. It pained her to see the thing being slightly stiff in its movements.

"Do you want some more?" she asked carefully and held out another piece.

" Chu?" the mouse asked, appraising her, as though waiting for a trap to be sprung.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Ranma confirmed with a smile that would melt the heart of a hardened soldier … male ones, that is …

" Chu – pi – Pichu," the creature said and carefully reached for the piece of meat. When the piece of meat was in its paws, it sniffed it questioningly and looked back up at Ranma. "Pi?"

"I haven't poisoned anything," said Ranma calmly, and to prove it, ripped a small piece of the meat off, and popped it into her mouth. "I have nothing to poison it with."

The mouse seemed to realise first now the state of undress Ranma was in.

A few hours later, as the meal was completely ingested, the two beings drifted asleep on the fluff that was collected from the fur, content and warm.

The fire lasted well into the night, and served to keep them warm in the chill of night, even with only the embers of the fire.

Early in the morning, Ranma woke to a slightly chilly wind that managed to send a gust through the opening of the cave. She was on her back, and gently hugging the fist-sized mouse to her soft chest, and it was seemingly satisfied as it nuzzled between her breasts.

While waiting for the mouse to wake, Ranma took a moment to appraise her body. While very much different from her male form, she had to admit that if she had seen a woman with her figure and face, she'd walk head-first into a lamp-post … and send it crashing into traffic. Standing at five feet ten inches, she wasn't exactly short, but not tall either. Her bust could make any baby salivate in anticipation of a huge meal, and her bust was natural as well, or as normal as her situation allowed, which is probably the reason why Akane was so angry at her all the time, as her own chest was much smaller. Her life as a martial artist had rid her of any access fat, and toned her muscles without making them notable through the delicately soft skin. She was a walking, well concealed, well formed powerhouse.

As the tiny creature on her chest stirred, she decided that it should have a name while in her care. Wracking her brain, she tried to find a suitable name for her new friend. In the end, she decided on; Zumi, short for Nezumi, to keep it simple.

"Time to wake up, Zumi," she whispered into the angular yellow ears of her only friend in this world.

* * *

The next days, Ranma spent most of her time tending to her rodent patient, and making sure that it wasn't injured beyond her ability to aid.

After the strips of leather had dried, she knotted it all together at inhuman speeds, managing to form crude shorts, and a vest with a leather string holding the front closed, if only somewhat. An additional string ran all through the vest right under her breasts, and acted as a support for the heavy bust, and was made to be done and undone, according to which gender she was. Done to support her breasts, undone when she had no breasts. There was nothing to boil water in, so heating any was out of the question until she could manage to make a pot or pan to use for that purpose.

Around noon each day, Ranma would head for the nearest stream, and return with some of the strange fish that was found there. She could have sworn that one of them had said "Magicarp" before it died. But she shrugged that off, because she knew enough about animal physique to know that very few animals were able to duplicate human speech. They tasted delectable, though, and their bones would help make decorations if she was stranded there indefinitely, some of the bones could even be used as arrowheads or senbon needles. She still had some strips of leather left, even after making some moccasin-like slippers.

In the morning, Ranma would keep her martial arts skills up. Each evening, as the two cave-dwellers were resting on a full stomach, Ranma would tell her new friend about her life. Growing tired of the constant, if not intelligent, charades she had to play with the mouse when it wanted to reply, she one day decided to teach it how to write. She had noticed many times how intelligent the creature was, and was not going to shy away from company, even if that company was a yellow mouse that constantly spouted variations of the word; Pichu, as a form of speech.

The first word Zumi learned, was; maybe. One could learn a lot from asking simple yes and no questions, but those did not always have a yes or no answer. The art of charades was Okay as long as it was restricted to nodding and shaking of ones head.

* * *

One morning, about a week or two after her arrival, Ranma did not go out to train, because her friend was shivering in the bed. Zumi looked genuinely sick and ill. Despite being a man at heart, Ranma was unable to keep maternal instincts from acting, and pulling the mouse into a hug. She could afford to sacrifice a morning of training to care for this poor creature.

To her amazement, Zumi started to glow a bright white in her grasp. Not daring to let go, Ranma started to feel the mouse shift and grow, but was unable to see the change, as she was blinded momentarily by the light. The small paws of the mouse held on to her bosom in fright, and grew as well along with the rest of Zumi.

When the light faded, Ranma blinked the irritating spots away and looked down at her friend, only to discover a different one, twice as large, with three brown stripes over its back, and a yellow tail in the shape of a lightning bolt, a gradual gradient of brown near the base. The ears were no longer angular, but long and slender, nearly like a rabbit. A patch of fur on its forehead stuck out, like it was a stubborn bang on a boy's hair. The ears still had a black tip, but now it was more near the end.

The creature looked up at her with the familiar orbs.

"Pika?" it enquired.

"Zumi? Is that you?" Ranma asked and lifted the rodent to eye-level.

" Chu!" the creature answered with a nod.

"Should I even bother asking you what this is about, right now?" she asked.

"Pi–pi–pi," Zumi stated and shook his head.

"Maybe you should take a nap," Ranma suggested, in a motherly way, and placed the mouse back on the bed. "I think I saw a rock I can use to mould a pot, yesterday. Just take your time, I know how confusing it can get to change bodies so sudden, just take your time to get used to it, okay?"

Zumi nodded weakly and nuzzled Ranma's glandula mammaria one last time before returning to the bed.

* * *

Ranma was starting to have a good day. Not only had she found a rock just the right general shape and size for a pot, but when she picked it up, there were a few pieces of gold under it. Although not knowing if it would be of any value, it still looked nice, and her upbringing with Genma had taught her to never let an opportunity like this pass. So she took the gold with her, and decided to come back later and see if there was more. 

She took a seat next to the small river and summoned her ki-blade in a scoop form. It was a small matter to change the form of the blade, and with the ki-blades being sharp enough to cut through a brick of titanium if it could be left alone on it.

This made the carving of a pot much simpler, and the river would wash away the debris.

A few hours later, Ranma stood with a crudely carved pot, filled with water, in her hands. Maybe she should make fish soup that night? Or a stew! She could use one or two of the bear's bones to keep the pot over the fire, or she could erect a stand around the fire and place the pot onto it. The possibilities were flowing through her mind. But best of all, she could change back to her original gender. That held priority, so, with a pot filled with water, Ranma returned to the cave she had nearly started to call home.

"I'm back!" Ranma called as she stepped inside the cave with the pot of gold and water under her arm. She was greeted with the sight of Zumi clumsily doing a kata she had been doing these past days, and fall over as she entered. "So, you saw that, did you?"

"Pika ..." Zumi stated and modestly drew circles in the stone floor with his finger.

"Do you want to learn it properly?" asked Ranma and started gathering scattered rocks around the fire pit to form four short pillars to place the pot on while supplying air to the fire at the same time. She started the fire with a few twigs and a breath of air, using the embers to their utmost. The gold, she took out of the pot and left the water as she placed the pot over the fire. She would finally change back. Meanwhile Zumi was nearly bouncing around and nodding his head and singing the affirmative to her question. "But first," Ranma interrupted, and managed to snatch the singing mouse from the air, "you have to show me the word you were supposed to practice for today."

Zumi nodded in agreement and drew a series of lines on the ground, using his tiny finger-like claws like he was welding, sending sparks of electricity into the scratches, and making temporary scorch marks. Referring to the kanji symbols Ranma had drawn up on the wall to represent each sound.

"Pikachu?" asked Ranma as she read the kanji writing. "I asked you to write the name of your species, you are a mouse."

Zumi shook his head, making the ears flap about a bit, then pointed to himself and what he had written.

"You are a _Pikachu_?" Ranma asked. "Then what were you before you changed?"

The eager Pikachu started writing crudely on the stone ground "_Pichu._"

"Really?" Zumi nodded at the question. "Well then, since you managed to write that word without help, we can start on the basics before the water has heated up enough, and I can go out hunting."

And so they did. Ranma showed her friend the beginning kata of Anything Goes, and corrected where she saw the need to. Something about how fast Pikachu learned this made her think that he was made to fight. It was a distinct possibility. That only made it more fun for her, as she had trained to fight all her life. This was a godsend if she managed to duplicate the attack Zumi showed her. She could see good use in shocking ones opponent, literally.

It took her a while to notice, as her attention was so focused on Zumi, but the water had been boiling for minutes. She had to take the pot off the fire, stunning the young Pikachu because she didn't use anything but her bare hands, and didn't even need to cool her hands off.

"Zumi, I think there's something I forgot to mention when I told you about my life," she said and held the boiling pot of water in her bare hands, "I have a curse placed upon me, turning me into this when splashed with cold water." She waited to see if the Pikachu understood. "I return to my original body when I get splashed with warm or hot water, understand?" slowly, the electric mouse nodded. Ranma then upended the pot of boiling water over her head, and dropped it, once more a man, much to his relief. He undid the string that was meant to lift and support, as it was now getting very restricting across his larger ribcage. "This is how I really look."

"_Man?_" Zumi wrote carefully on the ground. The lettering was unsteady and crooked because of the relative freshness of the knowledge about them, but the meaning was clear. "_Woman?_"

"I'm a man, turning into a woman is my curse," Ranma explained. "You are still free to go, if you find this too weird."

Zumi answered by shaking his head and give him a hug, though finding it harder to do so now that Ranma's female attributes were no longer keeping him up as he hugged.

"_Friend,_" Zumi wrote on the ground as soon as he let go. "_Stay, train fight._"

"You're getting better at that," Ranma commented idly and ruffled the fur on the Pikachu's head. "And after only a few short weeks … Children usually take nearly a year to learn this much."

The only answer he got; was a blush that coloured the Pikachu's face, and not just the red patches … A considerable achievement for someone with a thick yellow fur coat covering them.

"You just keep practicing until I get back with dinner, okay?" said Ranma cheerfully and ruffled what he had named "hair" on the Pikachu. He got a nod, and saw the mouse go into a modified horse-stance before Ranma exited the cave. "This world keeps getting weirder and weirder," he commented as he took a single senbon with him on his hunt. Who needed bows and arrows, when a needle was more than sufficient? He thought smugly.

* * *

Author's Notes: There has been a few changes, the most notable would be the change in weaponry … since I wrote this story first time 'round, I've gotten a bit more familiar with various weapons, and I'm sure most ninja fans out there would be able to see how fish bones could be made into senbon needles, and how little would be needed in the way of alterations to the bones to make them work. For those more interested in the chest references, I exchanged a word "Mammallia" with "Glandula Mammaria" … I can't remember why I used the first word, nor where I found it, but it was supposed to be a sophisticated word for breasts … the second is the latin words for Mammary Glands, according to Wikipedia. I hope the revision of this story is accepted this far. 


	3. Chapter 03

Disclaimer; This fanfiction uses existing ideas, characters and or worlds, but is an independent work of art. I own nothing, hence the reason for publishing my writings here instead of in real books where I could make some money.

* * *

**-Chapter Three-**

**Discoveries

* * *

**

Ranma was out hunting, nearly two months later, and had gathered enough so they would not go hungry to bed. 

As he contemplated returning to Zumi, he heard the Pikachu's distressed cries from the cave.

Without a second thought, Ranma set off at speeds that made even some of the larger trees sway dangerously in the vacuum he left behind. He stopped in the nearest tree to the cave, and took stock of the situation.

There was a boulder with arms floating about trying to hurt Zumi. Not far away stood a green-haired woman, garbed in Amazonian armour, with a backpack and a belt with small spheres. She was holding a larger version of those spheres in her hand, as though readying it to be thrown. And what set Ranma off, was that the woman, though attractive, was commanding the boulder to attack Zumi.

Nobody attacked his friends unpunished, even if she was the first human he had seen in months of only having an electric mouse for company.

With a roar, Ranma sent a massive but relatively harmless ball of ki at the boulder and landed between Zumi and the Amazon woman.

"Leave my friend alone," he threatened, looking very savage with a knotted vest of brown leather and shorts to match, a few feathers of those delicious birds stuck into the holes near the top of his shoulder for decoration, and several of the same dead birds hanging limply from his left hand.

"Go away, male, know your place!" the woman threatened back, fingering the spheres on her belt. The way she announced his gender made his opinion of her as an Amazon rock solid.

Annoyed, Ranma flipped backwards and landed in front of the now confused hunk of rock before tossing it at her, quickly following up with a stronger ki-blast.

-BOOOM!-

The Amazon and her boulder were launched into the horizon, vanishing in a sparkle that looked almost like a twinkling star.

He looked after her for a few seconds before turning to his friend.

"Are you okay?" he asked and started lifting the mouse's ears and arms to check for injuries.

"Pika!" Zumi called when Ranma was fussing at his worst. With his foot, he wrote "_Is fine!_"

"Well, okay, but we need to pack," Ranma responded. "That woman knows where we live, now, and if or when she returns, I doubt she'll be very happy with us."

The Pikachu agreed with his statement, and sat on the ground for a moment, looking around.

"_What use carry?_" he asked finally, scratching his yellow "hair".

"I anticipated that question, and ..." Ranma walked to the very back of the cave, shortly after, returning with a crude blanket. "… made this blanket to sleep in. I can just carry anything else in my pockets."

"_Got pockets?_"

"Not real ones, no," Ranma replied. "It's a martial arts technique to hide weapons. But since I despise them, I adapted it to hide anything else I want to."

Zumi looked dubious, but nodded anyway. Ranma demonstrated by stuffing the large blanket in his vest, seemingly not taking up any space at all. While Ranma went about gathering what they had, placing the dead birds in the pot and the gold in his shoe, Zumi spotted something and left Ranma's sight.

Not until the only sign that there had been human presence in the cave; was the dark spot where the fire had been, did Ranma notice his friend missing.

"Zumi?" he asked, fearing the worst.

"Pikachu!" he heard him reply from the direction where the Amazon had been standing.

"Zumi, what are you doing?" he asked, curious, concerned and sternly.

The Pikachu turned around with the red and white sphere with a black line along the weld in his arms, presenting it to him with a small " Chu."

"What is this thing?" asked Ranma as he accepted the sphere, examining it.

"_Pokéball,_" wrote Zumi after a bit of pondering on how to write the explanation. "_Use keep Pokémon in, cage._"

"What is a Pokémon?"

Zumi pointed at himself in response to Ranma's question.

"I thought you were a Pikachu?"

"_Am, Pokémon also,_" Zumi then pointed at the feathers on Ranma's leather vest. "_Were Pokémon also. Ursaring. Pidgey._" His paw then directed itself at the bracer with the bone senbon needles. "_Magicarp._" Then directed his paw back at himself. "_Pikachu._"

"Aaah, Pokémon are animals."

Zumi nodded slowly at this.

"Well, I'm not going to have a prison with me," said Ranma with determination. His arm raised and he prepared himself to throw it. Only to have it halted by Zumi.

"_Check, maybe full,_" he wrote. Ranma paled at the thought of condemning a poor defenceless being to starvation in a cage.

"How do I check it?" he asked seriously, turning the ball around in his hand, looking for a latch to open.

"_Try cage Zumi._"

"What?!"

"_If full, no work,_" wrote Zumi while looking sagely, as though he had witnessed this before. "_If not, Pokéball Zumi cage._"

"There must be a better way," Ranma pleaded. Zumi looked pensively at the sphere that was identified as a Pokéball. With a determined look that rivalled Ranma's when he was about to throw the Pokéball, Zumi punched at the white button that was at the centre along the seam of the opening.

The sphere cracked open and a red beam of light hit Zumi, and enveloped him, before swallowing the red light and Zumi. The button blinked in red for a few minutes before it stopped.

Ranma nearly panicked and tried to pry the two halves of the thing apart with no luck even with his massive strength.

"Zumi, come out!" he called desperately.

To his amazement, the ball popped open, and it spat out a red light, releasing Zumi.

The Pokémon didn't even get the time to shake off the after-effects of the Pokéball before he was nearly choking against Ranma's shoulder in a hug that would have crushed steel.

"Pi!" he squeaked pitifully and waved his tail in Ranma's face to make him let go.

"Huh?" Ranma asked and held his friend at arms' length.

"_Am fine,_" Zumi wrote on the ground and shoved the Pokéball towards Ranma's vest. "_Keep, Zumi cage. If hurt, cage. If tired, cage. Ask, open cage._"

Ranma hardly understood, but pocketed the ball in a sub-space pocket, with all their other things.

"I'm going to have to make you something for putting up with me," he stated. "Would you like a headband? Or a vest?"

Zumi blushed while considering, his right ear twitched slightly as he reached a decision and indicated his chest.

"Vest it is," agreed Ranma, "I'll make you one tonight when we make camp. Now, let's get going."

He held out a hand to the foot tall Pokémon and tapped his shoulder. Zumi took a hint, and was soon resting on Ranma's shoulder as they headed west in search of human civilisation.

* * *

For the next few days, all Ranma and Zumi did, was walk, eat, train, write, hunt and sleep. Ranma found it very useful to keep his ki-blade out at all times, as insects the size of his head kept popping up around them, and tried to attack the smallest member of the duo before attacking Ranma. This was, of course, unacceptable, and resulted in said insects falling to the forest floor in several pieces.

Ranma refused to use the Pokéball again, and noticed the relieved expression Zumi gave at the news.

When Ranma had made Zumi the promised vest, out of leftover leather strips, the creature hardly stopped hugging him, and proudly wore the piece of clothing.

Zumi's training in the martial arts was going excellent. While the species of Pikachu, according to what Ranma could get from Zumi, is naturally fast, they are weak. This was something Ranma could fix easily. He knotted a small backpack that Zumi was made to carry, and filled it with rocks. This would not only build strength, but also endurance. Speed was trained after they had made camp, so that the electric Pokémon would not lose it. Ranma set up something similar for himself, to keep his own strength and endurance up, although he rather tied a large boulder to his back instead of a backpack with rocks.

The electrical attacks that Zumi used became stronger as well, due to the constant use when writing.

Their friendship had only grown stronger, and Zumi no longer showed any shock or surprise when Ranma changed genders because a pigeon-like bird took off from tall branches and shook water from either rain or dew down on them.

To make it easier, Ranma simply tightened the string that ran through her vest and after those incidents remained a woman until camp had been made. It would have been a waste of time to stop and boil water, only to be splashed shortly after the warm water had been spent.

Zumi didn't mind one way or the other and learned more and more words every day. Ranma, unlike what was thought of him during his school days, was smart. It was his father's fault that Ranma acted as dim as he was. It was unmanly to be intellectual, so when Ranma was a child and got good marks, his father would go on and on about the virtues and priorities of a martial artist, so in the end Ranma simply pretended, and did an excellent job of it. He nearly wanted to buy a book on grammar to give Zumi, to help the mouse along. Maybe a dictionary ... Ranma mused. There was bound to be a bookshop when they got to a proper city, if the Amazons weren't the most advanced, that is.

* * *

After a week of walking, they met a cobbled road, leading from north to south, or the other way around. Flipping a carved bone was the only logical way to choose which way to go.

They ended up going south.

Not wanting to take chances, they camped just out of sight of the road when resting.

It took them another two days to reach a village apparently named; Shieldon, if the sign was any indicator of the name. It was, as Ranma suspected, an Amazon village, so out of reflex, he splashed himself with water.

Getting in around the guards was easy with Ranma's skills, and she had, reluctantly, put Zumi in his Pokéball, as he had requested. It would be hard sneaking in with a foot tall yellow mouse either following or riding on her shoulder. With her clothing, nobody suspected Ranma of being an outsider as she exchanged some of the nuggets of gold for money.

With the newly acquired money, Ranma made some purchases … mostly supplies. These Amazons were surprisingly modern in their shops. A sleeping bag, food, a tent, a proper pot with a stand, bowls and spoons, a thermos, some other clothes - similar to the outfit she was wearing - and the much desired dictionary ("_Weedle's Fifth New International Dictionary_"). The saleswoman managed to push some more of those Pokéballs on her, but luckily not more than two, as she had deducted that she was going on a long trip from all the supplies. She had tried to sell her some potions, but Ranma had refused, earning an appreciative nod from the Amazon.

"You're right," the saleswoman said, "only weaklings need to use potions. But I am forced to try and sell them anyway … Pokémon League rules, you know …"

She then pointed out some stickers on the side of the shop that had letters or pictures on them. Apparently, "trainers" used these to mark their Pokéballs so they could tell them apart. Ranma declined, but purchased a handbook for what Pokémon she could encounter in the wild around these parts.

"Remember your training, sister," the saleswoman said as Ranma was leaving the shop. "When catching wild Pokémon, weaken them first! That makes it easier to catch 'em, and you'll waste less Pokéballs."

Nodding absently, Ranma left the shop, and took a look around for something else to do while in human contact again.

She walked around a bit, and came upon what claimed to be a _Pokémon Gym_.

Curious about how Pokémon would train in this facility, Ranma entered it, expecting to be greeted by a health club filled with Pokémon and their Amazon owners at various machines or activities to strengthen them. She did _not_ expect to see that the entire building was open on the inside, and a small field was painted in the centre, where young Amazon girls were standing in line before a middle-aged woman with bluish-green hair. In the field was a small dragon, looking to be no more than a baby, competing against a giant blue turtle with a pair of cannons sticking out of its shell. The girl was desperately commanding her dragon to evade the blasts of water the turtle was spewing from the cannons.

Curious, still, Ranma took a place at the back of the line. She wanted to give this a try.

Studying the handbook, Ranma took note that the girls used a wide variety of Pokémon. There were the nine _Starter Pokémon_ of the three continents where the Pokémon had migrated from, Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, Chikorita, Cyndaquil, Totodile, Treecko, Torchick, and Mudkip. Those were the ones used the most. Then there were others. A boulder like the one that had attacked Zumi back at the cave, a Geodude according to the handbook. A bat without any eyes, Zubat. A golden brown fox with hands, Abra. And a Pikachu.

Finally, Ranma was first in line, after having seen each of the girls lose with such ease on the woman's part that it seemed they couldn't fight their way out of a wet paper bag compared to her.

"You seem a bit old, sister, are you certain you wish to challenge me?" the woman asked.

"I'm sure," Ranma replied, having spotted the weaknesses in the woman's slaves. "Bring 'em all on."

"Confident, aren't we?"

"I have good reasons to be."

"Very well, sister, if you wish. Charizard, Blastoise, Venusaur, Golem, Alakazam, Scizor, I choose you!"

Six of the blasted spheres were thrown into the field, and six creatures popped out. The first was a massive, orange, western-style dragon with a violent glint in its eyes. The second was the huge turtle. The third, a blue reptilian quadruped with a large flower-like palm tree on its back. The fourth was a huge ball of boulders with a head, two arms and two legs. The fifth, looking like a padded Abra with a moustache, a star on its forehead and a spoon in each hand. And finally, the sixth looked like a preying mantis with red armour, and mouth-like clamps with jagged, teeth-like edges in place of the traditional scythe. They all lined up in front of Ranma.

"You still have a chance to back out, sister," the woman called as Ranma evaluated her opponents and planned how to win.

"No killing, right?" Ranma asked to make sure she understood the rules of engagement.

"Right, just incapacitation without permanent injury."

Ranma nodded in understanding. "I'm ready. On the count of three. One."

"Then take out your Pokémon!"

"Two."

"Take out your Pokémon, sister!"

"One, attack!"

Before a third warning was issued, Ranma stepped into the field and took a ready stance.

"Are you crazy?! You'll be killed!"

"No."

"Fine, but I'm not cleaning you off my floors! Pokémon, attack!"

These things have no cooperation skills, thought Ranma as she charged into the oncoming burst of fire from the Charizard. The woman winced at what she thought to be the demise of a brave Amazon warrior, but was shocked beyond belief when Ranma ran out the other side of the blast, only slightly singed.

Before the Amazon could bring herself to speak, Ranma raced at the dragon using speeds that made the rest of the fire extinguish from pressure.

Using the creature's height against him, Ranma jumped up and while kicking, ran up the chest of the massive thing, ending with a back flip when reaching the head, making the head of the Charizard snap back.

Not waiting, Ranma proceeded to land in front of the falling dragon and leap onto the turtle, dropping as heavy as lead on its head, knocking it out at once.

Using a revised version of the Breaking Point technique mixed with pressure points, Ranma knocked the Golem out with a single tap before facing the three difficult opponents.

Ranma realised quickly that she was unable to move towards them anymore, because she was suspended a few inches above ground. By the looks of it, it was the Alakazam that was doing it, due to the intense concentration it was showing.

The Venusaur was starting to inch some tentacle-like vines towards her, while the Scizor was circling her and leaving afterimages.

Time for drastic measures, Ranma thought and memorised the set pattern the creatures were moving in. With a roar, she threw out her arms and sent three white ki-blasts, hitting each Pokémon directly, and causing them to faint from the power she put into the blast.

"Now, lets get it on," stated Ranma and cracked her knuckles as she advanced on the woman.

"Cheater!" the woman cried as she came over the shock of the seven seconds long match.

"I followed the rules," said Ranma as she came closer.

"You did not," the Amazon protested. "Trainers are not to interfere in a Pokémon battle! You are a cheater, and cheaters are punished!"

Although she was feeling confident in her ability, Ranma did not want an entire Amazon nation out looking for her blood because she handed a group of warriors their posterior. So, she did what the Saotome school of Anything Goes dictated … she ran away, leaping out the window several metres above ground, and fled the village before she could get caught.

As she ran, and jumped the walls surrounding the village, Ranma heard the guards being alarmed, and people organising something. This was not the first impression she had wanted to leave behind. While running, she released Zumi, and made sure to grab the mouse before he was left behind.

"Sorry, no time for you to ask me what's wrong," she said as the two rushed north on the cobbled road. "I was accused of cheating in a match, and they plan on _punishing_ me for it."

"_You have me fight for you!_" stated a sign Zumi pulled from nowhere, just before it impacted on Ranma's head from the fierce winds the high speed met. Where do people get those signs? Ranma wondered as she ran like the wind, literally. It must have been some martial arts move, or magic at work, but where does an animal that can write get hold of those signs?

"How was I supposed to know that?" she asked, "I like to do my own fighting!"

"_Is how done!_" the next sign said, this time not banging against her, but was hidden away. "_Understand? Is rules! Follow rules!_"

Ranma growled at the point her friend was making.

"Fine, but you are going to learn everything in the dictionary I got you, within a month, as punishment!"

"Pika!" squawked Zumi in undignified outrage. "_Why punish?_"

"Because, not letting me fight my own battles is punishment for me, and misery loves company!"

Ranma kept up the running for the rest of the day, not stopping to look behind her once.

* * *

As the dark crept over the land, the two refugees sought shelter a good few paces out of sight from the road before making camp.

Zumi found his new ability to hold out signs to speak was much more amusing and productive, as not everybody would bother to look at the ground where he had written, therefore would not notice. A Pikachu holding up a large wooden sign with writing ... _that_ was taken notice of. Ranma could only groan in frustration. But even she had to admit that it was a time-saver.

She quickly filled the thermos she had gotten, with warm water, before dumping the rest on herself.

Ranma set the pot down on the fire, once more filling it with water, but this time was not for splashing, it was to mix with the powdered or dry food he had gotten in that Amazon village. He had to admit, that powdered and tinned food was very good to use when preparing a meal in the wild … one just had to be careful what became of the waste. Zumi quickly agreed with Ranma once he had tasted the finished product, even if he had questioned the taste of something that looked like it had just come out of a pig with a bad stomach, mixed with a few colourful bits of something.

The only training the two did that night, was trying to sneak pieces of food from the other's plate, without Ranma getting shocked in a moment of righteous fury.

Slightly singed, and twitching every now and again, Ranma tried to fall asleep in the tent and bag, but the signs that kept bopping him on the head kept Morpheus away.

"_Please?_"

"No."

"_Pretty please?_"

"No."

"_You very pretty, please?_"

"Why do you even want me to etch something into your cage?"

"_Call Pokéball, for tell apart, my mark._"

"You want your own mark on the Pokéball?" Ranma asked to confirm what he had read.

"_Yes. Please?_"

Ranma groaned in defeat.

"If I do so tomorrow, will you let me sleep?"

"_YES!_" the sign was followed by an enthusiastic "Pika!" another sign bopped the martial artist on the head. "_Good sleep!_"

"It's "good night", Zumi," Ranma corrected tiredly, "Sleep well."

The sign bopped Ranma's head once more, "_Good night!_"

* * *

By noon the next day, Ranma and Zumi, who was out of the Pokéball and on Ranma's male shoulder, arrived at another village, named Stabit.

Unfortunately, Ranma got splashed just before he entered the village, and immediately spotted a hunting party handing out her picture marked with "wanted". Behind the hunting party, several huge pigeons with colourful plumage were waiting.

Not long after that, she was spotted, forcing her to seek refuge in a house that had a conveniently unlocked door. Once inside, Ranma poured some of the thermos over her head. Zumi shook his fur and vest with disdain while letting out a complaining " Chu!"

Ranma was about to pull the curtain of a window aside to check if he lost his pursuers, when he heard a gentle "Oh my!" from behind him. He spun around, and came face to face with a woman he could have sworn was Kasumi with redder hair and at a younger age of twenty. She was clad only in a fluffy pink towel, and looked at him like he was death-incarnate.

"Please don't hurt me!" she pleaded at once, most likely thinking him a sexual offender.

Ranma quickly covered the woman's mouth and shushed her quietly, showing he had no ill intent towards her. He quickly explained the situation to her in low whispers, leaving out the change of gender, and pleaded her not to give him away. When the woman was relatively calm, all things considered, she initiated the introductions.

"My name is Delia, Tekkomikon Delia."

Ranma accepted the offered hand and gave it a gentle squeeze and gentlemanly kiss.

"My name is Ranma, er ... Ketchum Ranma," the name was the first one that sprung to his mind, due to what the saleswoman in the previous village had said about "Catch 'em" while referring to Pokémon. Technically, Ranma was ronin, as he had run away from home, but it always sounded better to have a family name while introducing oneself. It also seemed that one followed the tradition of stating family name first during introductions here, as they did in Japan …

The two had a casual conversation, forgetting about the state of undress Delia was in, and only occasionally interrupted by Zumi, who also wanted a say in things.

Delia was very surprised at a Pokémon that could write, let alone make the words appear on a sign, even if the vocabulary was rather limited. It took a few moments before Ranma thought to look for his hunting party.

"They're gone," he sighed. "I have intruded on your hospitality long enough, good bye, Tekkomikon-san."

"Wait!"

Ranma halted as Zumi climbed onto his shoulder.

"Take me with you!" she pleaded. "Mother sees me _unfit_ to choose my own husband, and is right this minute in the village of Scarred to interview the mother of a potential one. Please, I want to have an adventure before I'm _forced_ into marriage!"

This hit home for Ranma. He knew what it was like with arranged fiancées, and knew that if someone had been a chance to escape the fiancée mess at the beginning, he would have latched on as well.

"Okay, you can come," he agreed.

Zumi looked questioningly at his friend.

"Great!" Delia squealed in delight and grabbed his hand. "You can wait outside my room while I pack!"

Being pulled up the stairs as easily as he was, Ranma started to wonder why she chose to wait until _they_ arrived to run away from home. While the excited woman ran around frantically and packed her backpack, Ranma and Zumi leaned against the wall while sitting … just waiting for Delia to finish, as promised.

"Remember to only bring anything you can't live without!" he called out as a reminder … it wouldn't do for her to slow them down by bringing more than she could carry.

Fifteen minutes later, Delia stood in front of him, dressed in a red and black cloth version of his clothes, and ready to go. Ranma noticed the Pokémon belt she had on. He was relieved that she only had three. At least she wasn't all that bad. On her back was a modern backpack with most of the same equipment Ranma had with him, only she was not able to hide it all within the folds of space.

"Follow me," she stated and pulled the martial artist with her to the balcony on the first floor. Delia took a Pokéball from her belt and tossed it in the air. "Columba, I choose you!" she called.

The red and white sphere opened and spewed the red light Ranma had come to know. When the light vanished, a bird like the ones that were behind the hunting party was hovering in place.

"Climb aboard!" she called after having settled herself. Zumi nodded at Ranma's questioning look.

"Okay," he agreed and climbed in behind the attractive woman.

"Columba, to the forest, head east!" Delia called out.

As the large bird took off, none of the people on the streets or marketplace in the village seemed to react. It was almost as though it was commonplace for people to fly off on large birds.

* * *

Author's Notes: As some of those who _really_ followed this story may have noticed, I changed the name "Delilah" to "Delia". The reason for this is that I checked multiple sources I did not know of when I originally wrote this story, and merely quoted the name from memory, which is a really bad thing to do, as the mind has a way of distorting everything slightly even if the information is beat into the brain. Also, I have discovered enough sloppy mistakes only to this point to make me ashamed of myself for not doing a more thorough job of checking the story before posting it. 


	4. Chapter 04

Disclaimer; This fanfiction uses existing ideas, characters and or worlds, but is an independent work of art. I own nothing, hence the reason for publishing my writings here instead of in real books where I could make some money.

* * *

**-Chapter Four-**

**A Middle

* * *

**

The next morning in a clearing half an hour's flight east of Stabit, Delia was stirring. 

She was roused by the sounds of a struggle just outside her tent, and went to investigate, after covering herself up appropriately. What she had expected to see, was Ranma training a few of his Pokémon against each other. She had not, in her wildest dreams – well, maybe – imagined that she would see him and his Pikachu jumping around and fighting with all of their limbs. The Pikachu had the added advantage of a tail that obeyed his will, while Ranma was a master of his art.

Delia was awed at the display of aerial acrobatics and the firework of colours as Zumi fired a volley of lightning bolts, countered by Ranma's ki-blasts. She started doubting that Ranma was human when she saw the combined speed and ki-ability.

This show of colours and fighting went on for another half hour before Ranma halted.

"Very good, Zumi, you honour me. Now, go read your book," he stated and gave the foot tall mouse a bow. Zumi gave a bow in return and ran off to the dictionary so his vocabulary could increase.

"Good morning, Ketchum-san," Delia greeted and crawled fully out of her tent.

"Just call me Ranma, okay?" Ranma replied in a wince. "And, good morning to you, too."

"That was an awesome display of skills, Ranma," Delia complimented with a slight blush.

"That was nothing," Ranma dismissed, "I'm just teaching Zumi my family art. I caught him copying me a while back, and decided to teach him to spare him any injury. He's a fast study, nearly as fast as I am ..."

"Would it be too much to ask, that you take on a few more students?" Delia asked with a heavy blush. "I'd be willing to pay for your services," she added and took out a wallet from her pocket. Ranma placed a hand over hers and pushed it slowly away.

"There is no need for money," he said seriously. "I will be willing to educate you and your friends for only your company during this trip. But first, I need to see how good you all are, so I'll know how much I need to help each of you."

"Right now?" Delia asked, slightly nervous.

"Of course," said Ranma. "If we do it after breakfast, then we'd have to wait until the food had settled if we wanted to avoid stomach cramps."

Delia could not argue that point, and released her Pokémon.

"Zumi, could you do us the favour of assessing Delia's friends?" Ranma asked, looking at the reading Pikachu.

"_No problem, Wild Horse._"

Ranma grumbled at having his friend separating the words that made up his name, but let it pass. Instead he looked over where the three Pokémon were standing in a line in front of Zumi, who was marching in front of them like a drill sergeant, and speaking to them in native Pokémon. There was the Pidgeot they had flown a bit on yesterday. Then there was a green praying mantis, a Scyther. And finally, what looked like a midget without genitals, with large arms and three plates sticking out of its nose-less, hair-free head, a Machop. Delia introduced them in order; Columba, Falx, and Robur.

Ranma could not help but grin and shake his head at the display they were putting on.

With a wave, Ranma initiated the sparring between himself and Delia.

* * *

Ranma's evaluation of Delia only took a few moments. She had obviously had a bit of basic training, but nothing extensive. This could be because the people here tended to rely more on the Pokémon they had enslaved, rather than using their own power.

"Good," said Ranma after having dodged each and every punch and kick the woman threw at him. Delia was sweating and panting heavily. "Well, I know where to start with you … _endurance_. Each morning before breakfast, you and your Pokémon are going to make your way around the camp for half an hour at top speed. When you get better, you will start doing it with weight on your back. For now, take a breather and get ready for breakfast." Ranma intended on treating her in a professional manner while being her sensei, no matter her being a woman.

Delia, while still panting and sweating on the ground, shot him a look that plainly asked if he did this for some sort of sadistic pleasure. The three Pokémon friends she had were giving Zumi the same look.

"I'll just go get some water for the instant ramen," he chuckled and grabbed the pan from next to the fire before walking out of the clearing, towards where he heard the trickle of water.

To challenge himself, Ranma pulled the two Pokéballs he had gotten, from sub-space, and started juggling all three items as he walked through bushes and between trees. This was great practice in hand-eye-coordination. The trick was executed flawlessly, until he stepped on something slippery he had not seen and dropped the items he had in the air as he stumbled to maintain his balance.

The telltale sound of a Pokémon entering a Pokéball came from behind him as he righted himself and snatched the pot from the stream before it came out of reach.

On the ground, next to the other, was one of the two Pokéballs, shaking, and the tap was blinking red for a moment.

Then the rocking and blinking stopped.

"Oh great," Ranma muttered to himself, "I just enslaved a defenceless Pokémon."

Not wanting to waste any time, Ranma commanded the Pokéball to open, and it did. Flopping limply on the ground was that same type fish he had been eating before he could get rations. Thinking this to be a lucky catch, as now he could have something extra for breakfast, Ranma filled the pot with water, and grabbed the Pokéballs and Magicarp.

"Look what I found!" said Ranma as he entered the camp. He was holding the Magicarp by its tail as Delia saw it.

"Oh, that poor thing!" she exclaimed and was examining it before Ranma could blink. "You got to it just in time! Did you catch it? No matter, I have something that can help the poor thing in my bag, just hold on a minute."

Delia was moving with practiced ease as she fluidly made her way through her backpack and retrieved some vial from it, and returning to drip the content of the vial into the fish's gaping mouth.

"There," she sighed. "Now all she needs now is rest." Noting Ranma's curious gaze, she blushed before doing what seemed to come natural to her. Compliments. "That is a real catch, Ranma, it will grow into a good fighter."

This piqued Ranma's interest. "Really?"

"Well, not as much now, but in a while … yes."

"Maybe I should ask her what she wants before forcing her to endure training ..." Ranma mused, only to be answered by the fish in question with a spray of water. _Cold_ water. "Now, was that necessary?" she asked the stunned fish. "Now I have to get some more warm water."

Not noticing the shocked look on Delia, Ranma placed the pot on the fire, and sat by to wait for it.

"Wha – Who – How – oh my!"

Ranma looked in Delia's direction.

"It's a curse," she explained. "Cold water does _this_," with a sweep of her hands, she indicated her now busty form, before pulling and binding the middle string on her vest to give her breasts support. "Warm water returns me to my normal body."

"Oh my," Delia gasped, exhaustion and Magicarp forgotten.

"Go ahead, make fun of, or insult me," Ranma continued wearily and rubbed the bridge of her nose.

"Why would I do that?"

Ranma looked up in near disbelief. There were hardly any humans who knew of the curse that did not do either. There were even those who shied away from her upon discovering the gender-changing curse, fearing it might be contagious.

"I'm sure you didn't get the curse willingly, so why should you be mocked for it?"

Unable to resist, Ranma crossed the space between the two, and started hugging the other woman while expressing her gratitude for the acceptance shown so freely.

It took her a few minutes to realise her invading the other woman's personal space.

"I'm sorry … it's just that very few accept my curse so fast," she explained, blushing as heavily as Delia.

"That's okay, Ranma … you are still _you_, no matter what shell you wear."

Once more, Delia's personal space was invaded by a facsimile of an Amazon glomp.

This time it took longer for Ranma to gather her wits and retreat a few steps.

"Sorry, reflex," she apologised.

While muttering apologies, Ranma was hit on her head by Zumi's now ever-present sign.

"_Magicarp say she stay,_" the message read. "_Want get good._"

Ranma sobered and crouched over the previous potential snack.

"You want us to train you?" she asked seriously. At the movement that could be interpreted as a nod, Ranma looked at the fish. "This will not be an easy or painless training, understood? You will _ache_ after each exercise, you will be in pain until you get good enough to avoid getting hit … do you understand this?"

"_She say, understand,_" Zumi translated with his sign.

"Very well, then" Ranma stood to her full height. "Help her train her muscles, all of them. Even if she seems able to live above water, she can't be very mobile … by strengthening her muscles she'll be at least able to flop out of the way of attacks. We will work our way from there."

"_Hai, sensei,_" the sign read as Zumi caught hold of the tail of the fish, and dragged her off to the other Pokémon.

Ranma returned to wait for the water to boil.

"The curse," started Delia awkwardly. "Does it go all out?" The question ended in a blush.

"Do you mean, does it give me that time of the month, or, are you asking if I like boys?"

"The first," answered Delia with a heavier blush.

Ranma made a grand sweep over her body.

"This change comes with all the accessories, thank you very much … it's a pain, too," she replied.

She stopped talking to upend a boiling pot of water over her head. The change was instantaneous.

"Much better," Ranma sighed in relief.

"How did you manage not getting burned?" questioned Delia in awe as she examined him closer.

"With the help of a combination of a technique called Soul of Ice, and a special pill ..." was Ranma's mysterious reply.

"Excuse me?"

"The Soul of Ice is a special technique that allows me to chill not only my moods and body, but also my surroundings." Ranma explained. "The pill is called the Phoenix Pill, and gives the user an immunity to heat, though most of it is used to counter a pressure point technique used on me called the Cat's Tongue technique, which would have made me extra sensitive to heat."

* * *

And that was the last they said about that matter. Ranma went for more water for their breakfast, and everything settled into a routine. For the next few days, they spent the mornings training. The afternoons were spent walking, while carrying heavy backpacks, all but Aegu, which they had named the fish, who only had to flap her way after them on the ground. As this is very strenuous, they only travelled for a few hours, at a slow pace so that Aegu could keep up with them. The newest members of the group held back their complaints as this was what they had been warned about when they agreed to the training. Everyone but Zumi had been astonished when Ranma hoisted a huge boulder onto his shoulders and started walking, on the first day of walking together.

As it turned out, Delia was correct in her assessment of Aegu. That fish learned very quickly. The day before they reached Cutoff, she had managed to flip herself several feet into the air and across ground. She even managed to flap her way to Falx and slap her during a free-for-all sparring one morning.

Delia was very proud of Ranma, not to mention grateful. In those short days they had known each other, her Pokémon had nearly doubled their strength, endurance and special abilities.

Not wanting to risk being seen, Delia stayed in camp while Ranma entered Cutoff for supplies. Ranma remarked how differently he was treated as a male, as opposed to female. There was no room for haggling, and all the prices seemed elevated. He could not go as a female, because he had seen a picture of himself as a woman in nearly every window he passed, stating that "This Woman Is Wanted for Destruction of Property" the names and breeds of Pokémon of the gym leader was listed underneath, along with a bounty that, by his math-skills, summed up to be enough for a car, when comparing the prices for the supplies he had gotten.

Upon returning to camp, Delia declared that they should travel _around_ the village, and not through. This is what put them on the path that lead north, to the city of Target. It was the safest way to get to the top most northern island of the small chain south of Kanto.

About a week later, nearly halfway to Target, something Ranma had never expected happened. Aegu "evolved", as Zumi later explained. Gone was the red carp-like fish that could flop ten feet into the air and spit small ki-blasts. In its place, was a large, blue, limb-less, eastern-style dragon with fins here and there, and without a beard or whiskers, Gyarados, as Zumi explained was the name of her species.

Aegu couldn't be happier with how things had gone since she joined them, even if it was unwillingly at first.

The other Pokémon were equally pleased.

Falx' speed had increased to the point that only Ranma was able to fend off the bladed arms during sparring matches.

Robur's strength was such that he could crush a boulder between his hands, and had learned to throw ki-blasts, mild ones, but increasing.

Columba's speed and agility in the air had also increased greatly, nearly breaking the sound-barrier at one point, and had learned to send ki-blades, of non-lethal strength, when flapping her wings at a target.

Delia was very excited about the changes her Pokémon exhibited, and could not restrain herself from giving him a hurried peck in thanks. Unseen by them both, this gesture left them both looking like perfect examples of tomatoes. In the background, the five Pokémon were plotting something sinister that would not be revealed for days to come.

* * *

Author's Notes: Okay, another chapter revised, and again I am very ashamed of the mistakes I've made … the very mistakes I've corrected others about. What on Earth made me decide to post this without proofreading it thoroughly? At this point, I would like to ask anyone who might have an idea if they any spring to mind about what kinds of adventures could spring from this story for a sequel to please send them to me … credit will be given where credit is due. 


	5. Chapter 05

Disclaimer; This fanfiction uses existing ideas, characters and or worlds, but is an independent work of art. I own nothing, hence the reason for publishing my writings here instead of in real books where I could make some money.

* * *

**-Chapter Five-**

**Victories

* * *

**

When they arrived in the city; Target, Ranma realised that he had spent the last of the cash. He still had more gold, but Delia gave him a hint of underground Pokémon battles, and he wanted to see just how good the Pokémon that were supposedly his, were in battle against others. 

That was what led him to his current location, a very large underground bunker where crowds and trainers were gathered haphazardly. He was facing his worst fears at this very moment while both hiding it and standing at the ready to get Zumi out of the battle if or when the need arose. Currently, Zumi was casually dodging the fury swipes of a very angered Persian, a feline Pokémon. The only reason why Ranma had yet to snap into the Neko-Ken, was his very strong use of the Soul of Ice, to calm his nerves. Actually, the natural panic was lessening, despite the feral display of feline power in front of him. Replacing the fear, was confidence, and dominance. He felt like he was a tiger, big, strong, and nearly unbeatable, but with the mind of a man.

"Zumi, stop toying with that cat, and get it over with, we have others waiting!" Ranma called into the field. This brought the attention of the trainer of the large cat, who thus far had seemed to be a sure winner. Within three seconds of Ranma's call, the Persian was on the ground, battered, bruised, smoking and unconscious, with the vest-wearing Pikachu perched on top flashing the victory sign with his paws.

"Next!"

This went on for a while … opponent after opponent.

Zumi was unbeaten, even against a giant boulder with four arms, a Graveller, if Ranma heard right. Despite the disability of electricity being ineffective against rock, Zumi managed to get in so many powerful punches that the Graveller had spider-web cracks nearly all over its body … and Zumi hardly even looked winded.

They were reluctantly declared the winners by the mostly female competitors, all of whom were nursing their Pokémon. The cash prize equalled that of a big gold nugget, and would supply food enough for a month on the road for the group of travellers. In addition, a tattoo parlour in Sowup was the sponsor, so that added two free tattoos to the list of prizes.

There were of course those who claimed he had cheated, and those who wanted a rematch, but the pigtailed martial artist would not give it to them.

With the battles done, Ranma went about getting supplies, and stowing away the remaining money where none but he could find them. The city was a fairly small one, but still large enough to be called a city. There were a few motorised vehicles, but they appeared not to run on anything but electricity, something Ranma could not help but approve after all the roof-hopping he did in Nerima during rush-hour.

Delia was very happy for him, and even more so when he made one of his finest meals for dinner.

* * *

As nature has it, when a man and a woman of no genetic relation are left alone with nothing but animals for a while, a romantic relationship will eventually grow. Whether it would last or blow over quickly was up to each situation. 

This case was not much of an exception, but would probably not have happened if Delia's tent hadn't mysteriously disappeared, forcing Ranma to either relinquish his own, or share it. Delia didn't have the heart to kick him out of his own tent, and Ranma was, like it or not, too much of a gentleman to let _her_ sleep outside, resulting in them staying in the same tent, rather close to each other.

Nothing happened the first week apart from sleeping, as they travelled west for one of the only two villages on the collection of islands, not inhabited mainly of Amazons; Sowup.

However, as they reached the foot of the mountain where Sowup was on, things heated up in the tent, initially sparked by Delia having a bad dream and needing to be consoled by Ranma.

* * *

Ranma sighed as he held Delia close. Why didn't it ever feel like this near that stupid tomboy? He asked himself. They had known each other for no more than a month, and already, Ranma was head over heals in love with her. Not to mention the earth shaking experience they had just shared. The drying sweat on their skin made them stick together, and Ranma wasn't sure he wanted to move as he felt the very comfortable weight on and around him. It was the most pleasure Ranma could ever remember having at once, even all those times he had mastered a technique couldn't compare. That realisation nearly made him laugh, but that would wake the woman he had grown to love over the past weeks. To think, Saotome Ranma, thinking that an activity would make him glow as much as this had done, and it wasn't a martial arts technique, either. 

The sleeping bags had been discarded for now, and the large blanket was the only thing protecting their modesty as the five Pokémon peeked through the flap of the tent.

Zumi and the others were silently congratulating each other on their achievement.

"I think I love you, Ranma," Delia muttered, half asleep.

"I believe I love you too, Delia," Ranma murmured in return before kissing her brow. "I've felt this way before, but not even a fraction of this strength."

Delia turned her caring, if drowsy, face to his and gave his lips a relatively innocent kiss compared to what they had just done.

"It's hard to believe," she sighed and nuzzled her head under Ranma's chin. "Only a few weeks ago, I was waiting for my mother to find me a husband, then you burst into my life while I wore next to nothing, and I fell for you." She snapped a finger, "Just like that."

Ranma kissed the top of her head.

"Marry me?" he asked on a spur of the moment. This had the effect of waking his lover from her drowsiness.

"What-"

"Will you, Tekkomikon Delia , do me the tremendous honour of spending the rest of your life with me? Bicker with my every decision, give me an adorable pout or use sex to get your way, and bear my children?" Ranma elaborated dramatically. "I spent too much time in the past, fighting my emotions and instincts, and I don't want to, ever again."

Delia was gaping at him, a range of emotion running across her face.

"We don't have to do it right away," Ranma added to sweeten the offer. "I'll wait as long as you'd like, as long as you accept. Please-" any further speech was hindered by the sudden intrusion of a tongue in his mouth. Delia's mouth was definitely smiling where it rested on Ranma's.

"I accept to doubt any stupid decision you make, to use any feminine advantage I have to make you see that I'm right, bear your children, and love you for the rest of my life. Yes, I'll marry you, Ranma." She cooed.

This started another bout of love-making that far surpassed the previous in intensity.

* * *

The next morning, Ranma climbed out of the tent, wearing his usual outfit, and a wide grin he didn't seem able to shake off. He was soon joined by Delia, who immediately wrapped her arms around him with practiced familiarity. 

Around a burning fire, where a pot of water was starting to boil, sat five exhausted Pokémon, looking nearly dead on their feet.

"Why do you all look so glum?" asked Ranma in a chipper tone, for once. It seemed that all who were happy could not possibly imagine why others weren't, and Ranma was unknowingly doing a great job of proving this.

"_You make too too much noise, no get sleep!_" said the sign that was thrown at Ranma's head.

Ranma and Delia blushed slightly at this, but maintained their body contact.

During breakfast, which was a form of canned stew, Ranma idly started knotting fresh twigs into a ring. Upon completion, Ranma pulled the only valuable piece of rock he had found during his time here, and knotted it into the ring so it would stay, but still be visible. The ring was put on Delia's unsuspecting hand when she reached for seconds.

When she realised just what she had on her hand, Ranma was awarded with a very grateful pair of lips on his own.

"_Get a room!_" said the sign that suddenly bopped the pair on the head.

Deciding that was a good idea, Ranma whispered the suggestion to his fiancée. The rusty-haired woman smirked mischievously and dragged him into the tent to thank him properly for the ring he gave her.

* * *

The group stayed at the foot of that mountain for nearly a week before the newly engaged couple managed to get themselves together, somewhat. 

Delia was still planning their wedding, which in theory was a very modest one. Ranma couldn't help but agree and smile as they climbed the mountainside. As they walked, the various Pokémon sometimes stopped to pick up another rock or two to add to their backpacks or harness. This is why Ranma thought nothing of Zumi picking one up and stuff in the only pocket on the vest he had gotten.

The other Pokémon had gotten small decorations as well.

Robur got a pair of very baggy pants. Falx got a pair of elastic sunglasses – because she thought they looked cool – Columba got a bandana to tie around her neck. Aegu got a bandana around her neck as well, but much larger. They were all very happy with the arrangements, although Columba was complaining about having to circle them all day like a bird of prey.

Because of lost time to adjust to their romantic lives, Ranma and Delia agreed that they would keep going until they reached the village. Even if the Pokémon did not enjoy the trip, that didn't mean that the humans had to dislike it. Ranma and Delia held an arm around the other as they walked, and Ranma had foregone the normal boulder on his shoulder to allow it … he didn't want to risk crushing her arm under it.

"I love you," he whispered into the ear of his fiancée.

Delia returned the words that should never be thrown about carelessly, meaning them fully. To prove their point, the two halted their hiking for a few seconds so that the newly engaged lovers could osculate.

* * *

Author's Notes: I know the sex part emerged very quickly … I mean, the characters hadn't even been together as a couple for an entire chapter before it happened, but when I originally wrote this, I was strictly following a sketch of events that I didn't deviate from, meaning the chapter lengths were strictly divided into events, and I barely added anything to the rough description of those events. This led to short chapters, and now that I'm revising them, I can barely find anything that can be edited out or added to without ruining the rest of the story. This was the explanation for both the rapidly evolving relationship, and the shortness of the story, I hope it clears up a few questions … as previously stated in last chapter, I will gladly accept suggestions for events following this story for a sequel, and credits will be given to those who earn it. 


	6. Chapter 06

Disclaimer; This fanfiction uses existing ideas, characters and or worlds, but is an independent work of art. I own nothing, hence the reason for publishing my writings here instead of in real books where I could make some money.

* * *

**-Chapter Six-**

**Battle

* * *

**

It was dark by the time the village came into view. 

"We'll camp here," said Ranma, indicating a clear patch of rock just to the right of the path.

The others agreed. It was not needed to say that he wanted to save some money for when they reached their desired destination. Delia had expressed a desire to make a home in the Kanto region, and Ranma wanted to make sure that this wish came true. He had planned to cash in the rest of his gold nuggets as soon as he got into the village, or when they arrived in Kanto.

He had not shared this little bit of information yet, but all would be revealed soon enough.

After the night Ranma and Delia had gotten engaged, the Pokémon had begged them to be locked in their Pokéballs so they could be spared the loud sounds of love, and get some sleep … and tonight was no different. Only one thing was different from the week, and that was that they had only one round that night, and not a loud one, either, because they were close enough to the village to draw unwanted attention to themselves if they were too loud.

The rest of the night, Ranma and Delia slept in a cuddle.

* * *

"Didn't you win something from that tattoo parlour?" asked Delia as they entered the village the next day. At Ranma's nod, she continued. "Are you planning on taking advantage of it?" 

"I don't know," said Ranma slowly. "The idea of painting something on my skin permanently, it doesn't appeal to me that much ..."

"I think you'd look good with a tattoo," Delia cooed. "And if you get one, I might get one as well ..."

"Tempting ..."

Delia then got a mischievous glint in her eyes, and whispered something to the young martial artist.

"Let's get tattoos!" Ranma declared enthusiastically and redirected the group to the respectable-looking shop.

* * *

An hour later, Ranma and Delia exited the tattoo parlour, Ranma with a large bandage around his right bicep, and Delia with a smaller one of clean felt taped on her right shoulder. Tiny spots of blood had seeped through both felt and bandage. 

"That didn't hurt half as bad as I thought," Ranma commented.

Delia was wincing and trying to soothe the aching shoulder.

They had both gotten the same tattoo, but different. It was a European sword that pierced a heart. Ranma had his name on the heart, and Delia's on the sword. Delia had the same, but reversed.

"That balm hurt," she complained cutely.

"What did you expect? It was to keep the tattooed skin from getting infections," Ranma explained. "Be thankful it's not the old times, or they would have slapped rubbing alcohol on it and told you to take the searing sting like a man."

Delia stopped complaining, but still tried to soothe the sore shoulder, until Ranma took the hand she was attempting it with, and holding it, like couples tend to do. They got to the village square, on the way to the travel agency that sold tickets for the only cruise ship that travelled between the Bushi Islands and Kanto, and saw a crowd gathering there.

"I wonder what's going on ..." Ranma muttered and directed their group there.

As they arrived, they saw a cocky woman Amazon standing along the outside of an impromptu battle field.

"Any other victims?" she asked, tossing a Pokéball in the air before catching it and repeating the action. "I'll add my motorcycle to the pot to anyone who can defeat my Pokémon!"

Ranma scanned the crowd, many of whom seemed to be irate and embarrassed, probably losers.

"I'll take you on!" said Ranma with a cockiness that easily matched the Amazon's.

"Stand down, male, and let the women handle this!" the woman barked.

"Why don't you put your sword where your foot is? Your mouth," Ranma retorted. "Zumi, are you ready to fight?"

"_Ready!_" the sign stated.

"Fine, I will show you the superiority of women, and put you in your place, male!" the woman called across the field. "Onix, crush the mouse!"

From the Pokéball the Amazon held in her hand, a giant serpent made of connected boulders emerged with a roar.

The spectators were groaning and shaking their heads. They knew that electricity was virtually useless against rock. They, of course, did not know that this electric mouse was not reliant solely on his electric attacks. As a matter of fact, Ranma had taught him several special techniques during their time.

Using his agility to its utmost, Zumi dodged the boulder snake as it dug its way underground and tried to attack from underneath. He zipped between the rocky tail that was smashed into the ground wherever he stood still long enough, sometimes forcing the mouse to jump when its opponent tried to predict the pattern of his movements.

None of the physical attacks came through, but that didn't mean that the results of the attacks were useless. Already, Zumi had a few bruises from the rocks that were scattered each time the tail of the Onix smashed into the ground.

Although his opponent was slower, Zumi was unable to get too close, as the Onix guarded its body well, making Zumi stay at bay by continuously smashing its tail into the ground where it looked like the mouse would try and get closer. And Zumi was unable to start any long-distance attacks, because he was not allowed to stay in one place for more than a second.

It was starting to look bleak for Ranma's rodent friend.

"Hang in there Zumi!" Ranma called in encouragement, kicking himself for not teaching him the Breaking Point Technique yet. The Pikachu nodded tiredly, bruises covering most of him, hidden only by the fur.

"You don't stand a chance, male!" the woman laughed from the other side of the field.

"Pika!"

The attention was once more focused on the battle. Zumi was glowing, and this was enough to blind the Onix and halt him in his attacks. The glowing form of the Pikachu leapt at the Onix while it was immobile.

The glowing Pokémon reached the body of the Onix, and managed to get a strong blow to the rock Pokémon's chin, as well as other spots, making it look like the Onix was surrounded by a glowing net that zipped away from it as the giant beast fell to the ground.

The glow died down, and where it had been, a golden Pokémon with Zumi's vest was in his place. The tail had slimmed down and lengthened at the base, forming a shorter and sharper lightning bolt at the end, ears that were wider and with a curled few hairs here and there. A Raichu.

"That's cheating!" the Amazon loser screamed as she reached the unconscious Onix. "You can't evolve your Pokémon during battle!"

"Actually, there hasn't been a precedence for it, so there are no rules against it," corrected a bookish woman from the side-lines. "The Pik -... er … _electric Pokémon_ won, so you have to give up the ... _prizes_.'

Growling in resigned annoyance, the Amazon threw a bag at Ranma's feet, followed by a glint of metal that he caught easily.

"Now get out of my sight!" the Amazon growled.

Ranma opened his hand, and saw the keys for a heavy motorcycle. In the bag there were a few wads of cash, more than one would get for a gold nugget, and a Pokéball. The name "Eve" was etched into the red half of it. He let it out, and saw that Eve, was an Eevee, a Pokémon that evidently could change to several forms, depending on various factors.

Letting the newly evolved Zumi take a place on one of his shoulders, Ranma embraced Delia and resumed their journey to the travelling agency.

* * *

"Yes, sir," answered a polite woman and quickly typed something onto her computer. 

A printer started to noisily write a few paces from her desk in the cosy and modern office, where only three booths were available. "Here we go!" she stated and retrieved the written paper. "Two tickets for the luxury cruise to Kanto. Transport has been arranged from Fuchsia City to Pallet Town, where a vicar will be waiting, as agreed, and may I offer my sincerest congratulations."

"Thank you," Ranma accepted and took the offered tickets.

Delia was waiting outside next to the motorcycle that he had won.

"Just a reminder," the woman called out as Ranma headed for the front door. "Your Pokémon need to be inside their Pokéballs for the entire journey. It's company liability rules, sorry."

"No need to apologise, I'm sure that they would beg us to be locked in there, anyway ..." Ranma chuckled.

The woman giggled politely, but obviously did not understand the inside joke. Ranma bid her a good day, and exited the agency. Delia was thrilled to know that they had gotten rooms on the two day trip from the boating town; Hookline, on the outer island near the northern peninsula. A bridge was connected from the road between Sowup and Hookline, making it possible to travel all the way while remaining dry.

Ranma refrained from telling her that they had gotten the best room on the boat, and that he had a vicar at the ready when they arrived in the chosen town for their home.

Delia eagerly hopped onto the back of the motorcycle and recalled her Pokémon. Ranma climbed on the motorcycle as well, but kept the newly evolved Zumi in front of him. And with all of this done, the group rode off into their future.

* * *

Author's Notes: If I hadn't already stated how embarrassed I am about the countless mistakes caught only this far into the story, I would have needed to do so again, because those sloppy mistakes were the kinds of mistakes I'd hound other authors about … I wonder why so few did the same to this one … did the pass unnoticed, or did the readers simply not care? Anyway, should an idea for a sequel to this story after finishing it, please notify me, and credits will be given. 


	7. Chapter 07

Disclaimer; This fanfiction uses existing ideas, characters and or worlds, but is an independent work of art. I own nothing, hence the reason for publishing my writings here instead of in real books where I could make some money.

* * *

**-Chapter Seven-**

**Disaster Strikes

* * *

**

One year later. 

In the outskirts of a small town called Pallet, there was a white house, with a white picket fence had been erected not less than eight months ago. The owners had come from the Bushi Islands, and one had no papers to his name, but plenty of money. This is why the wedding ceremony he had arranged that year ago was performed so perfectly with the vicar's family as witnesses, and why the house had been erected so quickly while the owners of that plot of land were on their honeymoon. They had money, and even if they didn't show it in every aspect, everyone in Pallet Town knew it.

Winter was coming. That much was also clear, as the previously green leaves were turning all kinds of golden brown.

In the back yard of the house stood Ranma, carefully chopping up a tree he had dragged back from the nearby forest. He had changed quite a bit from the serious pigtailed man he had been when first arriving in this world. His pigtail was gone, donated to his wife because she thought it a shame to throw it away, and a Pokémon league cap had taken its place on his head. His line of clothing had also changed, but it was for the better. On this continent, people tended to frown upon people wearing nothing but a leather vest and shorts, in public. Instead, he wore jeans and shirts. Sneakers and boots were also a daily part of his wardrobe, not to mention the fingerless blue gloves that did nothing to hide the gold band around one finger. He was smiling most of every day, and was quite liked by most of the townspeople for his helpfulness in nearly everything.

If one looked closer, one would see that no tools were used to chop up that huge tree, only his hands.

Delia had changed as well.

She was sitting in front of the TV with a Raichu, an Umbreon, a Machoke, a Scyther and a Pidgeot.

In her hands was a pair of knitting needles and some baby blue yarn, which she was slowly knotting into baby booties. Her hair had grown a bit since Ranma first met her, and she also wore a smile every day. She was as well liked by the townspeople, the same as Ranma, but lately Ranma had made sure that she did nothing that would tire her too much.

The reason for that and the baby booties, was that Delia was expecting.

Everyone in the household had been thrilled to hear the news of the new arrival, and could hardly wait the remaining seven months until it actually got there.

Through the window across from the TV, one could see the massive gaping head of the Gyarados, Aegu. She was too big to fit inside the house, but wasn't complaining, much. It was a very oft spoken agreement that when the first snow fell, Ranma would keep her in her Pokéball until it had melted away.

Zumi was watching the Pokémon league battles on the TV with great interest. He had adjusted to his new body very nicely, and even managed to get Ranma to purchase a pair of sunglasses for him, to "help his image." The Raichu had improved his vocabulary vastly since Ranma first started teaching him, and some times even went so far as to implement words that no one else in the house could understand for their complexity.

Eve, the newly evolved Umbreon, was very pleased with her new owners. As Zumi had translated, they did not beat on her regularly for not knowing any good moves. Her black fur was always shining, because Delia couldn't help but add some eggs to the Pokémon's meals, and just thought she was so cute. Ranma had to physically keep his wife from tying ribbons on the Umbreon's tail and ears.

Columba watched the TV with a frown, if a bird was able to do so, when the broadcast was interrupted with another bulletin about the serious theft of Pokémon and dangerous chemicals.

Robur groaned and went out to help Ranma carry in the firewood.

Ranma had set an entire room aside for storing firewood only, and it was nearly full. The motorcycle was being kept in storage with that nice Professor Oak down the street, because the budding family could not ride around on that, so a family car would either have to be purchased, or they would get a taxi or bus to get somewhere.

All in all, it seemed like the perfect home, an ideal place to bring a baby into their lives … a nice, peaceful place, where nothing happens, and where everyone knew and liked everyone else.

* * *

It was when Ranma brought in the final pile of wood for the day that it happened.

There was a knock at the door. Even the sound of a fist against the wood sounded ominous.

Ranma kept his wife in place when she tried to get up to answer, and did that himself.

Outside stood the local Officer Jenny, wearing a serious face.

"Good afternoon, Office Jenny, what can I help you with?" Ranma greeted politely.

"I'm afraid it's not such a good day, Mr Ketchum," the police officer stated. "I have been asked to rally trainers and their Pokémon to assist in a raid of a suspected base of operations for the so far unknown group of Pokémon thieves, just out of town. I was wondering if you'd be so kind ..." she looked around Ranma to Delia, who had now gotten up and taken her place next to her husband. "Of course, we will not _force_ you, what with the baby on the way, but there are very few able-bodied trainers in this area, and we need everyone we can get."

Ranma took a moment and looked down at his wife. They both knew what he'd do. Anything a fine martial artist would do … he would help the needy in any way possible.

"When is this raid?" Ranma sighed and leaned his forehead against his wife's.

"We all meet tomorrow at eleven, down by Professor Oak's place, we really appreciate that you agreed, have a nice day," Officer Jenny nodded her farewell and mounted her motorcycle, leaving for either the next trainer or for the station.

"I guess that leaves us with nearly twelve hours to say goodbye," sighed Ranma before grinning mischievously. "Do you think it will be enough?"

"Oh you!" Delia scoffed in mock anger. "You're incorrigible," she declared sadly. "You can't help but help people, can you?"

"It is a vow I took as a child, to help those weaker than myself, I _must_," Ranma sighed and hugged his wife to him. "I know it sounds strange nowadays, but I am a man of my word, what I promise, I will do my utmost to keep."

"I know," Delia agreed, a rogue tear running down her face. "That's one of the many things I love about you."

Ranma kissed his wife tenderly.

"Is that offer still standing?" Delia asked after a few moments of silence.

"Always," Ranma chuckled.

"Good, because I'm going to give you a night that will make you come back for more, no matter what!"

With that said, the two ascended the stairs for the master bedroom, and their Pokémon fled for the hills.

* * *

"Alright, men, this is the plan," a pompous, scrawny boy in his late teens declared. It was night again, and they were currently all just outside of the base for the villainous group that had been stealing Pokémon left and right for the last few months. "Ketchum, you and-"

"Hold it right there," Ranma interrupted. "I work alone," he stated seriously. "Look here, _kid_, I'll take the front, you guys stand on the sides and back to make sure they can't get away, got it?" the promise of pain to anyone who defied him was laced in his tone.

Most of them had seen how tough his Pokémon had become under his training, and weren't very eager to test out how tough he was himself.

"Now see here," the boy interrupted. "Officer Jenny and the headquarters agreed on a plan, and-"

"And just because you've got a Pokémon or two on your belt, you think you're such a hotshot," Ranma interrupted again. "Leave the combat to those with experience, kid, it might let you live for another day. We do things my way, or junior here gets thrown in as bait to draw fire. Any objections?"

"_Several_!" the boy objected.

"Well then, a test of skill," said Ranma tersely and picked up a rock. "Make this rock explode."

The boy laughed and started grabbing for a Pokéball.

"Without aide."

"That's impossible!" the boy nearly yelled.

"Is it?" with a single digit, Ranma made the rock into a pile of dust. "Now, are there any more objections?"

All surrounding them shook their heads, thinking that if he could turn a rock into powder with a single touch, he could make them all into meatloaf with less.

"Good, now take your places, when a white ball of light is sent into the sky, that is the signal that I have started, and to be aware of and take down any and all who tries to escape, got it?" Ranma glared at the surrounding men and few women. They all agreed and started spreading out around the hill where the opening to the lair was.

Ranma crept closer, as silent as a ghost, and observed his targets. They were all grunts, wearing black suits that reminded Ranma greatly of the outfit he wore when he met Kodachi for the first time, but they didn't have the star on their caps, and they wore a large red R on their chests.

Cracking his knuckles and turning his cap so the brim was not in his line of sight, Ranma was ready. It had been a long time since he had been allowed to fight on his own, and he planned to take full advantage of it.

Powering his ki, and drawing in some surrounding chi to supplement the lost ki, Ranma let loose a white ball of ki, right into the sky, and leapt into action.

The grunts didn't know what hit them, as Ranma darted in and rendered the helpless grunts unconscious, while knocking the Pokémon out.

He was doing great, leaping around and dodging vine whips, lightning bolts and water streams while punching, kicking and tapping his opponents

It was bliss to be able to do this again.

He was doing so well in taking out the grunts and their Pokémon that he failed to notice the large truck with unstable chemicals careening towards him.

The last thing he felt before blacking out, was the truck crashing harmlessly into him, wrapping the metal around him, and the chemicals exploding, giving him the feeling of being pulled apart and reassembled.

* * *

With a groan, Ranma announced his return to consciousness.

The ground beneath him was damp, and made of asphalt, which didn't make sense since the lair had a dirt road and was surrounded by dense forest.

A quick scan of himself, confirmed that he was unharmed, and still had what he arrived in the fight with.

Slowly, Ranma got up and looked around.

The first thing that caught his eye, was a dojo sign. _The Saotome School of Indiscriminate Grappling._

He had returned to the world he had left behind.

While his wail of despair travelled over a good portion of the Juuban district, Officer Jenny sombrely knocked on the Ketchum home, carrying the only thing they could find of Ranma, his cap, singed along the brim. She did not look forward to giving Delia the bad news.

Ranma's wail woke most of the city of Tokyo, while the rest stirred in their sleep.

From the Saotome residence rushed several persons, all angry from having been woken by the person wailing on the street. However, they stopped dead cold when they saw the face of the person.

"Ranma!"

Said martial artist looked to his mother, and nodded sadly.

The others weren't as happy about seeing him. Ranma wondered why the Tendo family was living at his home. Aside from Soun and Genma dancing around and crying about the schools finally being joined.

To make a long story short, from what the two youngest Tendo daughters rambled on and on about to Ranma, since Ranma left, things went from bad to worse.

Taro and Happosai had none to redirect them to less harmless places during their fights, and with all the collateral damage being directed at the Tendo home, when it was found out that they were housing Happosai the Tendo family went bankrupt, and had to live with the Saotome family. Since there was no one else to do so, the men were forced to take jobs to support them all and they resented Ranma greatly for it.

By the time Akane and Nabiki had yelled at Ranma, or rather, Akane yelled, Nabiki stated with a bone-chilling tone, the rest of the Nerima Wrecking Crew had arrived at the scene in their search for the cause of the scream. Ukyo, Konatsu, Tsubasa, Ryoga, the Kuno siblings, Mousse, Shampoo, Cologne and Happosai. With Genma, Soun and Akane, this was going to be a brawl of epic proportions.

Deciding to nip it in the bud, Ranma reached for the Pokéball with a lightning bolt that looked like a Z.

"Zumi, give me a hand in disabling these upstarts before they attract the police," said Ranma and discretely pressed the button.

Said rodent appeared next to Ranma, standing as tall as Ranma's knee.

"Rai?" he stated in confusion, and held up a sign.

"_Which ones?_"

"You take the ones on the left, I'll take the right and we'll meet at the middle, GO!"

While Zumi took care of the Kuno family, Ukyo and her staff, Shampoo, and Akane. Ranma took care of Genma, Soun, Mousse, Cologne, Ryoga and Happosai.

Most of the fights took no more than a few seconds, especially with Zumi shocking his targets, literally. The fight between Ranma, Happosai and Cologne took a few minutes, and ended with Ranma using speed and electric attacks he had picked up in the year or so he had been away.

When the battle was over, Ranma made sure that all the fallen would remain unconscious for at least another day. Zumi returned to the Pokéball as soon as Ranma noticed Nabiki's greedy twinkling eyes.

"Let's get these people inside before I set my _dragon_ on them!" Ranma declared to the remaining three women.

Nodoka and Kasumi were fast in helping out, and Ranma had to ignore Nabiki as she attempted to find out where that giant mouse had come from. She was close to demanding to have Zumi so she could send him in to some scientists and get a reward for discovering a new species.

When the others had been taken inside, Ranma had enough of the middle Tendo sister, and pressed her sleep point, and placed her with the others.

* * *

While Ranma explained to Kasumi and his mother about what he had done while away, Delia was crying her eyes out on their bed, while hugging the pigtail Ranma had donated to her.

When the baby, Ash Ketchum cried for the first time into the spring night, several practitioners of magic cried out as well over the loss of their texts on magic.

As Ash Ketchum took his first steps, Ranma was hard at work to find a way back.

As Ash set out on his first Pokémon adventure, Ranma was slowly, but surely, mastering the art of magic.

As Ash saved the world, repeatedly, Ranma cried out in triumph.

As Ash tried to restore the Pokémon Celebi to health, Ranma said his goodbyes and gave his mother a medallion.


	8. Chapter 08

Disclaimer; This fanfiction uses existing ideas, characters and or worlds, but is an independent work of art. I own nothing, hence the reason for publishing my writings here instead of in real books where I could make some money.

* * *

**-Chapter Eight-**

**And An End

* * *

**

Delia wondered who it could be that knocked on the door at this hour. 

Mr Mime was standing in the door and looking questioningly at the stranger.

"May I help you?" asked Delia and stepped closer to the door. A very familiar man stepped into the light. He was still as tall as before, still the same haircut. His flannel shirt and cap had been traded in for a silken red Chinese shirt.

"Hello, kanai," said Ranma lovingly, looking to the world as though he was restraining himself from jumping her. "I'm back."

Delia raised a delicate hand to her face and did what any widow would when their husband returns in excellent health.

She fainted.

* * *

When Delia came too, it was to a pair of blue eyes hovering just above her face, looking down at her with concern and love.

"Ranma?" she asked tearfully and touched his face to see if he was real. "Is that really you?"

"Hai, it is," he replied, his eyes shining with unshed tears. "I'm back."

Delia lunged into him, alternating between pummelling his chest, crying, kissing him, and thanking all the kami for his return. To halt any unnecessary violence, Ranma wrapped his arms around her, pinning her arms to her sides as he rocked her and whispered assuring words to her.

"I thought you were dead!" Delia sobbed into her husband's shirt, hugging him as fiercely as she was able to do. "Officer Jenny said you'd been burned in a chemical fire, and all they could find was your cap."

Ranma held the love of his live whom he had been without for thirteen agonising years.

"I was sent back to my own world," he whispered. "I spent every waking moment trying to find a way back to you and our child."

Delia sobbed some more, while managing to get out a few events that had taken place in his absence.

"So Ash is turning out to be a fine young man," Ranma concluded for his wife. "Mother would be thrilled. We should have her over some day. You'll like her, just ignore her comments about being a _man among men_, she has a slightly perverted idea of what makes a man."

Delia let out a few pearls of laughter through her sobbing with joy and relief.

They remained in place on the sofa for several hours, talking about anything and everything. Eventually, they fell asleep in each other's arms.

The next morning, Ranma was the first to wake up, and simply stared at his slumbering wife with a smile.

"So beautiful," he whispered and pecked her lightly on her head.

He could hardly believe that he was back with her. With her, he had a place of belonging.

"You're not so bad yourself," he head her mutter into his shirt.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," Ranma quickly apologised.

"Don't worry, I usually wake at this time of day. There's so much that needs to be done to keep the house neat," Delia replied, smiling gently. "Ash will be home within the week to see me before he sets of on another adventure, and I need to get the house ready."

"Why aren't your _friends_ helping?" asked Ranma as he sat up and restrained his wife from moving around and cleaning, refusing to refer to Delia's Pokémon as her property as so many people in this world had a habit of doing.

"I put them into storage as soon as Ash was born," she said sadly. "Raising a baby took too much time, and they would have been ignored unintentionally."

"That doesn't make any sense," stated a light voice from the kitchen. "If you kept your Pokémon, they could have helped, and made the job easier."

Zumi came in from the kitchen with a tray of assorted breakfasts on it.

"Good morning you two," he said with a pleasant smile. "I hope you don't mind, I've already helped Mr Mime prepare your breakfast, and the kitchen is all clean, no worries!"

"Ranma," said Delia in a nervous voice. "Did Zumi just speak, or have I lost my mind?"

"Answer that question after you've heard yourselves doing the jungle-dance all night," muttered Zumi. "Aegu and Eve have been fed, although, I think that putting up a vegetable patch in the back yard was a slightly bad idea, it was dark when we let Aegu free and she unintentionally crushed most of the strawberries."

"Oh my," gasped Delia. "We'll just have to do something about that ..."

"We're more than willing to help," said Ranma in a tone that allowed no objections.

"But first," Delia interrupted gently. "We have to make up for lost time.'

"Dear Kami-sama! Put us in our Pokéballs first!" exclaimed Zumi desperately, only to be ignored.

The next morning, Ranma and Delia rejoined the rest of the house, having spent all day and night getting reacquainted with one another, pausing only for use of facilities and hydration.

"I've taken the liberty of assuming command while you two were ... occupied, and your breakfast is ready. Ranma, did you know that you two make extremely loud noises while knocking boots?"

Slightly taken aback by the bluntness of the Pokémon, Ranma and Delia could only blush.

"I could have sworn I put up a silencing spell around the room ..." Ranma muttered as he seated himself at the table with Delia on his lap.

"You did, but it wasn't strong enough," commented Zumi dryly. At this Delia blushed harder. "Mr Mime nearly ran away while screaming bloody murder. Eve had to lock him in a cupboard to keep him from getting Officer Jenny."

"Good," said Ranma. "Now, how about we get ready for the return of our offspring?"

Delia could not help but stare in awe as Ranma pulled a seven foot long oaken staff with golden writing on it out of thin air, and started to wave it about in a near careless pattern.

What little mess was around the house was rearranged to its proper place, and the vegetable patch was restored to its previous state, but it now had a large enough area for Aegu to move around.

"There, all done," said Ranma and wiped away some beads of sweat that had adorned his forehead during the seemingly random dance. "Let's finish breakfast, okay?"

The following days were spent getting the word out to the few friends Ranma actually had in the area, that he was back from the grave.

Ranma could honestly say, he had never seen Officer Jenny weep in public before that.

All was well with the world until the end of the week.

* * *

"Mom, is that a Gyarados in the vegetable patch?" called a juvenile voice through the house. A Pikachu raced into the kitchen where Delia was setting out places for dinner, and stopped at the sight of a stranger making said dinner. Small streaks of electricity crackled from the red pouches on the Pokémon's cheek, getting ready to take care of any threat this man represented. "Who is _he_?"

Ranma turned and saw a boy with black, mussed up hair hold down mainly by a Pokémon league cap. Ash. _His son_.

Ranma stepped closer to Delia, and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Ash, this is your father," she stated seriously, if not with a little nervousness in her voice.

Pikachu was about to release a powerful thunderbolt at Ranma, when he felt a paw on his arm, draining the electricity from him.

"_You're lying_!" Ash growled.

"No, Ash, I am your father," Ranma replied, cringing both at the murderous glare the boy gave him, and the familiarity with a certain movie that had the same line in it.

"You're no dad of mine!"

"I understand your anger, believe me, I do, but I am telling the truth," Ranma continued. "I lived more than ten years of my life, thinking my mother was dead, so I know how _you_ feel."

"Then where were you?" bellowed Ash. "Why did you abandon us?"

"It was not my choice," said Ranma calmly, remaining calm only because of the Soul of Ice. "I was sent to another world, and spent the past thirteen years trying to get back."

"_I challenge you_!" Ash screamed through a bout of tears. "I challenge you, to a Pokémon battle! If I win, you leave right this instant, and _never come back_!"

"And when I win?" asked Ranma confidently, though not showing it. Delia tried to object, but Ranma stopped her with a look.

"I will allow you to stay, but I will not call you _Dad_," Ash stated grudgingly.

"Do you think your mother should have a say in this?" asked Ranma. "After all, she is my wife ..." Ranma looked at his son with an appraising eye. "I am not going to turn down the battle, but think of your mother before making the final decision."

Ash looked at his mother guiltily.

"Go, blow off some steam, but your father is here to stay," she stated flatly.

"Will you be needing us?" asked Zumi, shocking the two youngest in the room.

"No, Zumi, I can handle this alone."

"Okay, there is a field you could use behind the house," the Raichu stated.

Ranma nodded, and took Delia's arm, gently, before leading the way.

"Did that Raichu speak?" asked Ash, still in shock. The Pikachu nodded slowly.

They finally made their way to the field behind their property.

"Why don't _you_ start this?" asked Ranma. "I'm as ready as I will ever get."

"Aren't you going to take out your Pokémon?" asked an impatient Ash.

"I prefer to keep my friends out of personal issues," Ranma replied and removed his shirt. "Personal honour is something I take care of myself."

"I thought you were a trainer," Ash commented.

"I am, but I prefer to keep this for myself, so just make your own Pokémon ready," Ranma took off his undershirt. If the stories he had heard about his son's adventure were true, he wanted as few clothing articles lost as possible. He certainly hadn't lost any muscles over the years, and he intended on keeping it that way.

"You're gonna fight my Pokémon barehanded?" asked Ash with a disbelieving expression.

"Sure, why not, I've beaten a gym-leader like this once ..."

"Well, all right, but don't think I'm gonna go easy on you," the child warned.

"I wouldn't want it any other way, son," Ranma smirked.

"Chikorita! I choose you!" Ash called out, throwing a Pokéball into the air. "Use vine whip, Chikorita!"

Ranma grinned as he lost himself in the art, dodging the vines that the Pokémon was trying to tangle him into.

"Use your razor leaves!"

Ranma blocked each of the green leaves that were propelled at him like Ryoga's bandanas. His ki-ability had increased vastly as he learned magic, and this made it near impossible to hit him directly with a blade.

As the leaves stopped, the vines returned and tried to whip him. Doing an intricate dance for just such an attack, Ranma jumped and weaved through the vines, stopping after a few seconds, to watch the vines struggle to untie the knot it had weaved them into.

"Chikorita, return!" Ash called, too absorbed in the battle to realise that Ranma was a human, not a Pokémon. "Cyndaquil, go! Flamethrower!"

Ranma stood still and let the flames envelop him, only one hand extended. When the flames died down, Ranma was left unharmed as a bubble dissolved from around him. With a smirk, Ranma was suddenly upon the fiery hedgehog, and pressed a knot of ki that induced sleep, before returning to his original spot as his after-image vanished.

"Cyndaquil, return!" Ash commanded. "Go, Charizard!"

The giant orange dragon appeared, and sent a flame into the air along with a fierce roar.

Though he was properly trained, Charizard disregarded Ash's orders, and simply charged Ranma, sensing a powerful opponent in him.

Ranma did as he had done to the previous Charizard he had fought, and met it head-on, running up its chest and kicking its head so it lost consciousness.

"Charizard, return!" Ash growled, "Go Bulbasaur! Use your solar beam attack!"

Ranma was very familiar with that attack, having done extensive research on all the Pokémon Delia said that Ash had seen, and therefore also knew how to block it.

Just as the beam of white light shot at Ranma, Ranma brought out his ki-sword and held the attack at bay. When the light finally died down, Ranma lashed out and froze the Bulbasaur's muscles.

"Feel free to use more Pokémon at once, I love a challenge!" Ranma called out as Ash recalled the frozen Pokémon.

"Totodile, Pikachu, go!" Ash called.

Delia looked decidedly nervous when the water Pokémon came into play. It may have been thirteen years, but she still remembered Ranma's curse.

"Totodile, use your water cannon, Pikachu, charge it!"

Ranma was grinning from ear to ear as he jumped between the electrical charged spouts of water, going in a spiral that was the start of a special Amazon trick.

"Hiryu Shoten Ha!"

The spiral was completed, and Ranma punched the air as he was between the two Pokémon, creating a tornado that sent them high into the air, sapping them for energy.

When the tornado died down, Ranma caught the two Pokémon as they were about to hit the ground.

"You're a decent trainer, son," Ranma complimented. "But that Charizard needs a stern talking to."

Ash silently fumed.

"Go get your friends healed," said Ranma and handed the two last Pokémon back. "You may not like it, but I will earn the privilege of you calling me _Dad_, son."

Ash recalled his friends and took off without a word, heading for Professor Oak's lab to heal them.

Delia stood and looked after him. Ranma walked up to her and hugged her from behind.

"I'm sure he will come around, some day," he assured her. "And I will earn his respect."

"I don't doubt it," she chuckled. "You have a certain charm about you ..."

"I do, don't I?" he said cockily.

As the two chuckled and watched their only offspring run off to restore his friends to their health, they both placed their hands gently on Delia's belly.

The End?

* * *

Author's Notes: For the more observant of you, you will have noticed that I replaced the word "Wife" with "Kanai" when Ranma addressed Delia … this is because after some research, I have discovered that this is the correct word to use in the situation of a husband addressing or talking of his own wife. If it is incorrect or I misunderstood somehow, please correct me. Again, any suggestions for actions in a potential sequel for this story will be appreciated. 


End file.
